More on Meningitis (2)
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Dear Dr. Leela,
Re.: More on Meningitis...possible NGO roles for early warning and
outbreak preparedness in rural Tanzania
As the announcement keeps on coming we at Ifakara, Tanzania get
really worried. Mild outbreaks occur here during the dry season -
July to early September...
It means this year anything can happen even earlier. Personally I
would like to be of help to the rural community here. I am thinking
of a kind of "an early warning system" or some form of communication
that can reach the villagers in an easy and acceptable style.
I am working with about 2,000 primary school pupils in 5 schools for
the control of urinary schistosomiasis and intestinal helminthes. Is
there a way one of you out there can assist the newly formed OKOA So-
ciety to add an IEC message to the on-going school health activity;
this will enable us to print cheap leaflets in the local language and
send them to ALL the schools. Children will read them during school
health club meetings and discuss accordingly.
Then they will be asked to take them home and read them to the par-
ents and relatives.
Moreover, songs and poems or drama events can be organised to inform
the rest of the school community and parents about the lingering dan-
ger of a more severe MENINGITIS outbreak...
This is my simple idea on how best a rural based NGO can be of help.
Thank you Leela, for your efforts to get us connected and informed.
Sincerely yours,
John Kimario
OKOA Society
P.O.Box 431
Ifakara, Tanzania
mailto:okoa_societ2000@hotmail.com
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